Cornwall, one of the original six "Celtic nations" is the homeland to the surname Bodley. A revival of the Cornish language which began in the 9th century AD has begun. No doubt this was the language spoken by distant forebears of the Bodley family. Though surnames became common during medieval times, English people were formerly known only by a single name. The way in which hereditary surnames were adopted in medieval England is fascinating. Many Cornish surnames appear to be topographic surnames, which were given to people who resided near physical features such as hills, streams, churches, or types of trees, many are actually habitation surnames. The name Bodley is a local type of surname and the Bodley family lived at Bodley, the name of which is derived from the Old English personal nameBudda, and the Old English word leigh, meaning clearing. The name indicates that the area once belonged to someone name Budda. Alternatively the name could have been derived from "the house on the lea; from Bod, a house, and ley." [1]CITATION[CLOSE]Arthur, William , An Etymological Dictionary of Family and Christian Names. London: 1857. Print

Bodley Early Origins

The surname Bodley was first found in Devon, at Bodley, a small village, north of Parracombe or at Bodilly, a hamlet in south Cornwall.

"This surname is derived from a geographical locality. 'of Budleigh.' Two parishes in the Diocese of Exeter, in which district Bodilly is well known, and whence Sir Thomas Bodley, the founder of the Bodleian Library, sprung. His father was a Bodleigh, 'descended from an ancient family of Bodleigh, or Budleigh, of Dunscombe-by-Crediton" [2]CITATION[CLOSE]Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)

Some of the first records of the family include: Hamelin de Bodlei who was listed in the Pipe Rolls of Devon in 1196; Roger de Bodele who was listed in the Feet of Fines for Oxfordshire in 1269; and later, Emma Bodely who was listed in the Feet of Fines for Surrey (1457-1458.) [3]CITATION[CLOSE]Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 list John de Bodel in Cambridgeshire and the Placita de Quo Warranto, temp. Edward I-III list William de Bodele in London and Dennis de Buddelegh in Devon.

Bodley Spelling Variations

Bodley Spelling Variations

Cornish surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. The frequent changes in surnames are due to the fact that the Old and Middle English languages lacked definite spelling rules. The official court languages, which were Latin and French, were also influential on the spelling of a surname. Since the spelling of surnames was rarely consistent in medieval times, and scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded rather than adhering to any specific spelling rules, it was common to find the same individual referred to with different spellings of their surname in the ancient chronicles. Moreover, a large number of foreign names were brought into England, which accelerated and accentuated the alterations to the spelling of various surnames. Lastly, spelling variations often resulted from the linguistic differences between the people of Cornwall and the rest of England. The Cornish spoke a unique Brythonic Celtic language which was first recorded in written documents during the 10th century. However, they became increasingly Anglicized, and Cornish became extinct as a spoken language in 1777, although it has been revived by Cornish patriots in the modern era. The name has been spelled Bodley, Bodlegh, Bodleigh, Bodly, Bodlie, Bodilies and many more.

Bodley Early History

Bodley Early History

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Bodley research. Another 95 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1600, 1545, 1613 and 1521 are included under the topic Early Bodley History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bodley Early Notables (pre 1700)

Bodley Early Notables (pre 1700)

Another 49 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Bodley Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bodley In Ireland

Bodley In Ireland

Some of the Bodley family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. Another 172 words (12 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

The Great Migration

The Great Migration

Amongst the settlers in North America with this distinguished name Bodley were

Bodley Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

John and Samuel Bodley, who settled in Charles Town [Charleston], South Carolina in 1766

Other References

Bede, The Venerable. Historia Ecclesiatica Gentis Anglorum (The Ecclesiastical History Of the English People). Available through Internet Medieval Sourcebook the Fordham University Centre for Medieval Studies. Print.

Burke, Sir Bernard. Burke's Genealogical and Heraldic History of the Landed Gentry: Including American Families with British Ancestry. (2 Volumes). London: Burke Publishing, 1939. Print.

Shaw, William A. Knights of England A Complete Record from the Earliest Time to the Present Day of the Knights of all the Orders of Chivalry in England, Scotland, Ireland and Knights Bachelors 2 Volumes. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing. Print. (ISBN 080630443X).

The Bodley Family Crest was acquired from the Houseofnames.com archives. The Bodley Family Crest was drawn according to heraldic standards based on published blazons. We generally include the oldest published family crest once associated with each surname.